Avalon Visionary Cabins

Avalon Visionary is part of the line's Suite class, which means all accommodations on two of the ship's three cabin decks are considered suites. Of the 64 total cabins onboard, 52 are either 300-square-foot Royal Suites or 200-square-foot Junior Suites (also known as Panorama Suites on other Suite-class ships), both of which boast floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors that convert the cabins into wonderfully serene open-air balconies. (A railing is just outside, with no additional outdoor space.) It's important to note that, while these cabins are considered large by river cruise industry standards, they don't compare to what you'll find in many suites on mass-market ships.

The remaining dozen cabins are standards, the smallest of which clock in at 172 square feet and offer two small windows that peek out just above the waterline.

The color palette for all cabins includes dark brown woods (desks, closets, headboards); whites and creams (walls, duvets and pillows); and burnt oranges (couches and chairs). Art adorns the walls above each cabin's twin beds, two of which can be pushed together to create one queen. Memory foam mattress toppers and super-cushy pillows make them some of the most comfortable beds we've ever slept in.

All cabins include desks, decently sized closets, safes, nightstands with reading lamps, stocked mini-bars (prices ranging from 1.50 euros for soda to 5 euros for alcohol), free bottled water daily, individual climate and loudspeaker controls, bathrobes, L'Occitane bath products, two colors of towels (convenient when identifying which are yours if you're traveling with a companion), hair dryers, shaving mirrors and flat-screen TV's that offer a variety of movies, television shows, music, a ship Web cam and info channel, and nine different "fireplace" settings to help you relax. There are also red panic buttons located in each cabin, but they should only be used in case of emergencies. Other nice touches include a built-in clock on each in-cabin TV and a nightlight of sorts, which subtly illuminates the bathroom near the floor, so you can find it easily in the dark.

Royal Suites, the ship's largest accommodations, each offer two flat-screen TV's (one that can be viewed from the bed and another that swivels to be watched by those lounging on the orange chenille sofa and chairs); a bookcase; a large bathroom with double sinks and a shower; a separate powder room with a toilet; and extra closet space.

Junior (Panorama) Suites have only one TV each, no bookcases and bathrooms that encompass all facilities (just one sink instead of two) in one room with plenty of storage space for toiletries. Like the Royal Suites, Junior Suites also include glass coffee tables.

Standard cabins, although adequate, are pretty small. There's no room for couches, chairs or coffee tables, and bathrooms don't seem to have as much shelf space for storage. Closet space is comparable to what's available in Junior Suites, however.

We did notice that noise from cabin to cabin was minimal, but we could hear folks talking in the hallway clear as day.

Bathrooms in all cabins consist of dark brown faux wood cabinetry, tan tiled floors and walls, and marble sink tops. All cabins offer showers only, and they're equipped with glass doors, rather than clingy shower curtains. Showerheads are large and detachable, and the water pressure on our sailing was very good.

Plugs in each cabin are European-style, so be sure to bring an adapter or two if you're traveling from North America. One minor annoyance we found is that there was no full-length mirror in our cabin. Additionally, the shelving in the Junior Suite bathroom is so close to the sink and at such a height that we found it nearly impossible to wash our faces without bumping our heads.

Avalon Visionary Cabin Reviews

The cabin was beautiful. Better and bigger than any cabin on any cruise ship we have ever been on. Big Queen bed, table,chair, sofa, large French Balcony window that opened all the way across the room.
Very nice bathroom with a real shower that ...
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Very comfortable bed, granite bathroom, and great views from the all glass sliding door wall. The table, chairs, and banquette for two was adequate for two guests for cocktails. The desk and large mirror in the room were handy for the two of us ...
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A well appointed and laid out cabin. The cabin attendant was great. She took great pains to make sure the cabin was made up during breakfast. I was sort of expecting a cruise ship style bathroom. I was not expecting a tiled bathroom with a tiled ...
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